EME1046 Principles of Thermodynamics Tri 1,2013/14

Tutorial 4: The First Law of Thermodynamics - Closed Systems

1. A frictionless piston-cylinder device contains 2 kg of nitrogen at 100 kPa and 300 K.

Nitrogen is now compressed slowly according to the relation PV1.4 = constant until it
reaches a final temperature of 360 K. Calculate the work input during this process. (-89.0
kJ)

2. A piston-cylinder device contains 0.15 kg of air initially at 2 MPa and 350 C. The air is
first expanded isothermally to 500 kPa, then compressed polytropically with a polytropic
exponent of 1.2 to the initial pressure, and finally compressed at the constant pressure to
the initial state. Determine the boundary work for each process and the net work of the
cycle. (-4.65 kJ)

3. Carbon dioxide contained in a piston-cylinder device is compressed from 0.3 to 0.1 m3.
During the process, the pressure and volume are related by P = aV-2 , where a = 8 kPa.m6.
Calculate the work done on the carbon dioxide during this process. (-53.3 kJ)

4. A piston-cylinder device contains 0.2 kg of water initially at 800 kPa and 0.06 m 3. Now
200 kJ of heat is transferred to the water while its pressure is held constant. Determine
the find temperature of the water. Also, show the process on a Tv diagram with respect
to saturation lines. (721.1C)

5. An insulated piston-cylinder device contains 5 L of saturated liquid water at a constant

pressure of 175 kPa Water is stirred by a paddle wheel while a current of 8 A flows for
45 min through a resistor placed in the water. If one-half of the liquid is evaporated
during this constant pressure process and the paddle-wheel work amounts to 400 kJ,
determine the voltage of the source. Also, show the process on a P-v diagram with
respect to saturation lines. (223.9 V)

6. Air is contained in a piston-cylinder device. The piston initially rests on a set of stops,
and a pressure of 300 kPa is required to move the piston. Initially, the air is at 100 kPa

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EME1046 Principles of Thermodynamics Tri 1,2013/14

and 27C and occupies a volume of 0.4 m3. Determine the amount of heat transferred
to the air, in kJ, while increasing the temperature to 1200 K. Assume air has constant
specific heats evaluated at 300 K. (340 kJ)

7. An insulated piston-cylinder device initially contains 0.3 m3 of carbon dioxide at 200 kPa
and 27C. An electric switch is turned on, and a 110-V source supplies current to a
resistance heater inside the cylinder for a period of 10 min. The pressure is held constant
during the process, while the volume is doubled. Determine the current that passes
through the resistance heater. (4.71 A)

8. Nitrogen gas is expanded in a polytropic process with n = 1.45 from 2 MPa and 1200 K
to 200 kPa in a piton-cylinder device. How much work is produced and heat is
transferred during this expansion process, in kJ/kg? Assume Nitrogen gas has constant
specific heats evaluated at 300 K. (-51.1 kJ/kg)

9. Two tanks (Tank A and Tank B) are separated by a partition. Initially Tank A contains 2
kg steam at 1 MPa and 300C while Tank B contains 3 kg saturated liquid-vapor mixture
at 150C with a vapor mass fraction of 50 percent. The partition is now removed and the
two sides are allowed to mix until the mechanical and thermal equilibrium are
established. If the pressure at the find state is 300 kPa, determine
a) the temperature and quality of the steam (if mixture) at the final state and
b) the amount of heat lost from the tanks. (3959 kJ)

10. Krypton gas of mass 1 kg and temperature 120 C is expanded isothermally from state
point 1 to state point 2 such that its volume is doubled. Then, it undergoes an isovolumic
process to state point 3, such that the temperature is only one-third of its original value in
(40 C). This is followed by an isothermal process to state point 4. It undergoes another
isovolumic process to return to state point 1. The gas constant for krypton is 0.09921
kJ/kg.K.
(i) Sketch the cycle on both a P-V diagram and a T-V diagram.
(ii) Calculate the work done by the gas from state point 1 to state point 2.
(iii) Calculate the net work done to the gas over the cycle and indicate the area
representing the numerical value on one of the diagrams in part (i).
(iv) Indicate also the net heat transfer to the gas over the cycle on one of the diagrams in (i)
(past year supp 2006, Q1 c)

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